Hannah Nice, Skylla Civello and Becky Nice enjoy a fast-paced glider ride at last year’s Sheridan Days festival.
Marcus Larson/News-Register

Taryn Hunt and Mahaley Rogers try their luck at a carnival game.
Marcus Larson/News-Register

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SHERIDAN — In the West Valley community of Sheridan, happy days are here again. Thanks, in part, to Sheridan Days, which kicks off its annual four-day run Thursday.

The Sheridan Days Committee has assembled a schedule of activities meant to provide everyone who attends with something entertaining.

More than 25 people are serving on this year’s committee. It is headed by Chair Bob White, Vice-Chair Ted Mayfield, Secretary Wendy Bird and Treasurer Karen Christiansen, with Bird serving as chief event organizer.

“We’ve been meeting every week,” White said. “A lot of these people have been with us for many years. There’s a lot of loyalty and it’s a wonderful group.”

Without question, the headline attraction at this year’s celebration, which opens the summer festival season in the Yamhill Valley, is Music Fest. It features nine bands, which will combine to play all day Saturday at the high school football field.

“We think it’s going to be a huge success,” White said. “We have a lot of hope. We think this might be the tip of the iceberg.

“We tried a concert in the gymnasium a few years ago, but it was a complete flop. It cost us $2,500 and we didn’t even get our money back.”

Musicians will take to the stage at 11 a.m. and continue playing until 6 p.m. Following a 45-minute break for the Grand Parade, starting at Faulconer Chapman School and ending at City Park, the music will resume and continue until about 8:30.
Admission is $7. Individuals will be stamped when they first enter, and they can come and go as they please during the day.

Alcohol and tobacco products are not allowed on school grounds, and that rule will be enforced.

“This is our pilot year, so we’re really on probation,” White said. “We want to be able to come back next year. If we don’t do a good job this year, we probably won’t be invited back.”

Two stages will be set up on the football field, in front of the grandstand. Originally, the plan was to place the stages on the track, but that was scrapped for fear of damaging the surface.

There was some thought given to using a flatbed truck. However, the committee decided driving the truck onto the track or field might cause damage.

“We want to treat the facility right,” said White, who noted the Sheridan Days Committee has been working with the Sheridan School District for use of the football field.

Tim Bliven of Sheridan, who leads the band Bad Gass, organized the Music Fest.

White said Bliven’s involvement on the committee has been a big plus. He’s demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm for the music show and has done a good job putting the event together, White said.

“We have some fantastic artists coming to town,” Bliven said. “We’ve got every act from jazz to heavy metal. It’s not just one type of music. There’s a band for everyone.”

The lineup includes: Bad Gass, Portland, Southern rock; Dry County Crooks, Portland, rockabilly; J.R. Sims and the Texas Special, Austin, Texas, blues; Lisa Mann, Portland, country western; Michal Angela, Portland, jazz; Nearvana, Wilsonville, Nirvana tribute; Quoting Napoleon, Portland, alternative; Stillfire, Salem, hard rock; and Wild Dogs, Portland, heavy metal.

“There’s no hip hop or rap,” Bliven said. “I don’t like that stuff. If I can’t understand the music, or it’s full of foul language, I won’t listen to it.”

He said putting the musical show together has been a lot of work, more than he originally anticipated, but he’s received great support. The Sheridan Days Committee paid for the posters and tickets and Amity High School is donating the stages.

Guitarist J.R. Sims and drummer Mike “Basil” Ternyik are two of the most talented individuals who will perform, Sims with his own group and Ternyik with Bad Gass.

“J.R. Sims is one of the most phenomenal guitar players you’ve ever seen,” Bliven said. “I won’t pick up the guitar in front of him and I’ve been playing for 35 years. That’s how good he is. Basil is the best drummer I’ve ever come across. He’s a showman. He’ll spin the sticks and stand on his chair.”

During the 45-minute break, the Grand Parade will occupy the attention of people who line South Bridge Street.

Walter Simon is this year’s Grand Marshal. The Ashland resident is best known for his knowledge of the cartoon character Popeye.

He was hired by Associated Artists Productions to drive a truck full of Popeye merchandise and escort Popeye performer Harry Foster Welch around the East Coast.

Simon considers Welch the originator of the Popeye voice. But Simon perfected it as well so he could fill in for Welch on voiceovers and commercials.

To this day, he performs Popeye puppet shows.

He plans to deliver a Popeye talk from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday in front of the Yamhill County Real Estate office on Bridge Street. In conjunction, he will field Popeye-related questions from the audience and, according to Sheridan Days organizers, encourage people to eat their spinach.

Viola Blair Boyer, Gary Hampton, Janet Smith and Jerry Smith make up this year’s Honored Court.

Boyer is a direct descendant of the Blair and Buell families, who moved to Oregon in the late 1940s and settled in what is now Polk County, about five miles southwest of Sheridan. Hampton’s grandfather and grandmother moved to a 101-acre farm on Mill Creek Road in 1926, when his mother started the Buell school.

Janet and Jerry Smith are fifth- and sixth-generation descendants of pioneers of 1846-47.

Kolby McKereghan, a fourth-grader at Faulconer Chapman, submitted the winning entry for this year’s theme contest. He received $75 and a plaque for his effort.